Whispering Secrets
by OneManApocalypse
Summary: 3 years ago, Ash Ketchum went missing, along with all of his Pokémon. With no one knowing about his whereabouts, it was presumed he was dead. Now, Max Maple, embarking on his own journey, is faced with the challenge of a new power rising in the Hoenn region, along with a secret. A secret that may hold the key to finding the lost trainer... and the destruction of all the regions.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

_I don't really have much to say right now. Only things: please review! I will respond to each reviewer at the end of each chapter, sometimes a PM if I feel like you bring up something really good. No flaming, but I do like constructive criticism. Sometimes I go OOC or mess up in grammar. I have no beta, but I don't know if I need one. Just a few pointers sometimes is good, if you are bothered by them._

_Summary: 3 years ago, trainer Ash Ketchum disappeared from underneath everyone's sight. All of his Pokémon disappeared as well, and nobody has found him since. Now, Max Maple, 13 years old, is out on his own Pokémon journey, however, what he's about to get into is far beyond the average journey. Will he be the one to discover Ash; if he's still alive?  
_

_Notes: Takes place in Generation V, so Unova does exist. It'll be expanded upon later on._

_For ages sake, Max is 13. These will be a bit off, because I need this story to develop in a way of which ages are important. Plus, I feel a 12 year old in a serious relationship is so... I dunno, wrong? I just think it's a bit young. Nothing against people that do, just my own opinion.  
_

_Ages will be, essentially, AU.  
_

_May- 16  
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_Ash- 17  
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_Brock- 19  
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_Misty- 17  
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_Gary- 17  
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_Iris- 15  
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_Cilian- 18  
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_Leaf- 17_

_Finally, romance. This will be an aspect moving forward, so I will have pairings eventually. I really hope they don't cause you to not read the story, but I'd like to hear some opinions, so lay them out. I don't really write slash, it's not my thing.  
_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

_Three years prior to Chapter 1..._

"Your mission is going to fail."

"Like yours did? Keep talking kid. You're just wasting your breath."

The teenager smirked; typical of him to be referred to as a kid. Even at 17, nobody seemed to understand that he had greatly passed his child-phase and was now regarded as one of the most influential trainers in all of the 5 regions.

"And you're just wasting your time. I'm going to escape before you can actually do anything, so why bother with the ropes?" If there was any good side to being capture by the enemy, it was the fact that the teen had every opportunity to mock the ones he'd fought so long against.

The man whom had captured the teenager and bound him, sighed. Nobody had told him that there would be difficulties even _after _capturing the trainer with the highest bounty on his head. For someone whom most of Team Plasma feared, the grunt was shocked to find it was a mere child- in his eyes- causing all the implications and errors in so many liberation plans.

"Where would you go once you escaped? Let's see; we have your Pokémon, we have your bag, we even have your DNA. You escape, we'll just track you or your scent via one of the Pokémon around here. We've got you this time. Not to mention we're in the middle of the ocean. You'd be screwed the second you got loose."Throughout the grunt's explanation, the teenager had been slowly checking his ropes and feeling if they'd completely stripped him of all Pokémon.

"Oh?" The teen asked. His plan, for now, was to keep this grunt talking. The more he discovered, the more he could solve and halt in his pursuit to disband Team Plasma. That was the only reason he'd let himself get caught- he needed a new lead. What better way than by a loud-mouth grunt? "The ocean?"

The curiosity and surprise in the teen's voice wasn't hard to sound convincing for this truly was a surprise to the hotshot trainer. Last he'd known, Team Plasma's efforts had been concentrated on the Dragonspiral Tower and the possible acquisition of Zekrom or Reshiram. Neither of those two Dragon-types were Water-typed, nor were they found exclusively on the ocean.

Their goal seemed slightly astray now... and it piqued the trainer's curiosity, tenfold.

"Yes, the ocean," the grunt said in a cocky tone. The teen ignored the superiority in the grunts tone, opting to just get information instead of sparking his rage. "We're on our way to Liberty Island."

"Never heard of it..." the teenager said quietly.

The grunt laughed unnecessarily. "Of course you haven't; it's off-limits. There's a power inside that is so great, it could easily rip apart a region if properly harnessed. That's where _we _come in. Team Plasma, with that kind of power, could easily liberate _all_ Pokémon across the Unova region! But that's not all... we could expand to Johto, than Kanto, moving down to Sinnoh and Hoenn! We'd be unstoppable!"

The teenager remained quiet. He was getting all he needed- and more.

"Of course; that's if we decided to harness its power."

The teen frowned. _If?_

"What'd you mean, 'if'?"

The grunt smirked, pulling the teens raven hair, exposing his deep brown eyes to the merciless eyes of the Plasma grunt. "Well, let's just say, we have a _bigger _prize in store. To get it, we need that power."

Before the teenager could ask any questions, a loud buzz was heard, filled with static and grain. A metallic screech was heard- similar to that of an Onix's Screech attack- and the small metal cabin that the two men occupied was filled with a robotic sounding voice. The grunt smirked, but didn't speak. He just turned to face the speaker system, as if that would make the report nicer to hear.

"5 minutes until landfall at Liberty Island. Repeat; 5 minutes until landfall. Cabin's are pressurized and submarine is ready for rising."

With that, there was a loud click before the speaker system shut down. The grunt slowly turned around.

"Well, guess that's that..." He looked to the teenager... who was no longer in the chair. His eyes widened and the grunt took a step back. He shook his head in disbelief, his heart beginning to race. His eyes were locked onto the ropes that laid cut on the floor, and the now unoccupied chair.

"You know; I _told _you I was going to get free." The grunt froze in place. Every single muscle in his body went rigid and his heart seemingly stopped once that voice filled his eardrums. "And look... I did."

"H-how?" The grunt squeaked. His confidence had long-since left him, abandoning him the second the trainer was freed from his bonds. He feared to turn around, afraid to see what his fate was about to become. Instead, he remained staring at the chair, sweat beginning to race down his skin.

The trainer shrugged. "You took my Pokéballs; not my Pokémon. I had decoys, idiot."

Without even waiting for a response, the teenager cracked a knuckle. His face had grown hard since his freedom, and his carefree attitude seemed to evaporate.

"Kingler; you know what to do."

The grunt knew, at the moment, he was in serious trouble. The room was too small for a Pokémon Battle; it didn't help that the large red crab was taking up a lot of the non-existent space. He couldn't summon his Liepard for assistance, seeing as how it'd be KO'ed in seconds with its relatively low defense versus Kingler's massive attacking strength.

He had no back-up plan for the trainer's escape. It had seemed impossible.

At that moment, he realized his real mistake.

He'd underestimated the greatest threat to Team Plasma. And now, he was going to pay.

"I give up... please, don't hurt me..." The grunt immediately pleaded. He spun around, before getting to his knees in a last ditch effort to preserve his life. He didn't care about the Plasma code at this point; he cared only about him, the Kingler, and the trainer. The trainer... whose name had never been disclosed. He went only by 'The Threat'.

The trainer snorted. "I don't plan to. I may want to stop your idiot plans, but that doesn't mean I don't respect your views. I get what you want. I get why you want it; well, some of you. I get all of that. What I don't get, is _how _you go about it. Why capture a legendary Pokémon? You'd be doing exactly what you're trying to prevent. It doesn't make sense to me. Regardless, I'm going to spare you, but you need to consider what happens next time. We meet again, it won't be so nice. Got it?"

The grunt immediately nodded, not caring about what points the trainer had brought up. It all didn't matter- it only mattered that he'd live another day.

The trainer nodded once. "Good."

He pulled a Pokéball from his back pocket and enlarged it. Tossing it, a bright flash of white light engulfed the small metal room, revealing a green bug-looking Pokémon. The room, at this point, was beyond crowded.

"Leavanny; String Shot. I don't want him escaping." With a cheerful sort of response, the Nurturing Pokémon looked directly at the man before spitting a silk thread around the grunt's torso. The line tightened, clamping his arms to his side and than moving to keep his ankles together. Finally, one good shot tied his mouth shut.

"Excellent work, Leavanny. Let's move."

The two Pokémon, without a second look, followed the trainer out of the room, moving as silent as possible. The grunt watched, helpless, as they slipped through his fingers, escaping from the room- and the ship. He closed his eyes and didn't care as he tipped over and landed on his side. He'd failed; and by surviving this, there was no guarantee that he'd survive his punishment.

He was out of the frying pan, and into the fire.

The last thing he thought before he let himself fade into the darkness of unconsciousness sealed the fate of the Unova region.

'_Too bad we've already got the power...'_


	2. Chapter 1: Upon a New Time

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or the characters seen here.

_So the prologue seemed to be a good start. I understand the problem pointed out as the ages were quite off. To clarify, the ages are going to be AU'ed slightly. Don__'t worry about them so much, however, and refer to the chart. Thank you! Review responses will be at the bottom!  
_

_Final note: There is an open poll on my profile, regarding this story. It involves the romance part! If you want to see Ash with someone, you're going to need to vote. I believe you have 4 votes total, but please, you gotta input if you want good output. That's all I have to say, so I'll leave you this chapter, and happy holidays!  
_

* * *

_Three Years Later_

Max Maple, 13, watched silently as the semi-final match 1 ended, the top 4 trainers being narrowed down to the top 3. All remained was his match before the top 2 faced off in the Hoenn Showdown; the Ever Grande Champion ready to be named.

"You ready for your battle?" Max, without turning his head, nodded slowly. The question had been posed several hundred times to the rookie trainer, being asked by all of his friends, along with every possible person that he saw in public. His dad, who had asked, meant well, but knew the question was overused. Still; being the boy's father, he had to ask.

Norman glanced from the battlefield back to his son. The room they were in was a box-seat, allowing an overhead view of the ongoing battle. It was an exclusive to the top trainers in the tournament. He, however, was not concerned with the seats, nor with the position his son was ranked. Norman had battled long enough to know that not everything was statistical.

Experience, in the finality, was what really won championships. Max was inexperienced when it came to championships- and that, Norman was worried, could be his downfall.

"Any idea who you'll use?" Norman asked. Max frowned slightly. It was like traveling with Brock all over again; the only difference being that _he _was now the trainer. _He _was now the one everyone looked to.

"Of course; my most trusted team."

Norman sighed, looking back to the field as the winner trainer waved to the crowd shyly, before departing the arena. He'd only used 4 of his Pokémon on hand, thus making him one of the prime candidates, as shown by his position.

"I meant; who you'll start with, who'll you try to end with," Norman corrected.

This time, it was Max's turn to sigh. "Is there a point to this?"

Norman frowned. "I don't understand. I'm just asking."

"Can you not? I'm trying to focus," Max said sternly, looking away. He'd long since grown upon departing for his journey. He'd grown, thus far, to about 5 foot 3 inches, and had begun to dip into puberty. His outfit had been changed to a dark green shirt with black long cargo pants. Despite the sweltering heat of the Hoenn climate, Max had opted for those clothes over any others.

"Sorry..." Norman began. He took a step away from Max and began to walk to the door. He hoped his son would say something- possibly apologize- but he did no such thing and Norman had to stop at the door. He sighed quietly, looking over his shoulder. "Good luck."

Without waiting to his Max's reply, he walked out the door and closed it behind him, looking down as he closed it.

"He's still distant?"

Norman nodded. "Unfortunately. May; he's your brother... isn't there anything you can do? I, being his father, do have limits, you know."

May shook her head, her chestnut brown hair swaying as she did so. She sadly looked at the door, before looking back at her father. In his aging years, he'd seen the toll of constant battles and training as a gym leader take its unavoidable effect upon his body, slowly wearing it down.

"To think... 6 years ago, you were all here, in this spot... only, it was A-"

"Please." Norman paused at his daughter's interruption. "Don't say his name. Not right now- it's too hard."

Norman nodded, but continued. "It was _him_. I never thought Max would... I don't know, be here himself? I knew he was going to be a great trainer- he always handled the gym Pokémon well, but I just never imagined him being able to leave. I guess I lost track of time again..."

"Again?" May asked.

Norman smiled sadly. "You left too; didn't you?"

May went silent, getting his point. She'd grown up- and technically, he'd 'lost' his little girl he'd always had at home. To have it happen, twice, under his very watch showed just how much he had watched his kids grow up.

"But I never changed," May said quietly as she stared at the door. She noticed her father's silence, slowly turning to look at him. "I didn't... right?"

Norman shrugged slightly. "More than you'd ever know."

May frowned subconsciously. Before she had the chance to respond or question her father's vague response, there was an announcement on the loudspeakers.

"Will Max Maple and Kyle Helm please report to the battle rooms? The next battle will be beginning shortly; thank you." With a quick click, the loudspeaker went quiet and the hallway connecting the box-seat with the main complex went silent again. May was unsure of what to say, and Norman saw no reason to speak anymore.

Instead, they waited for Max to depart to room, hoping maybe he'd speak with them. As predicted, the door opened to reveal Max clutching one of his Pokéballs in his right hand. His face was stoical and he walked forward without regarding the two family members waiting outside. Norman and May followed him as he walked, exchanging a nervous glance.

"Max," May began a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to say. "Nervous?"

Max snorted quietly. "Hardly. I've done my research."

May and Norman exchanged another look, this one being curiosity, surprise and a bit of pride from Norman. To see his son growing into a strong, reliable and confident trainer was good- even if he was becoming distant with his power.

"Excellent, Max," Norman said. He hoped some sort of compliment would invoke a positive response from Max. Judging by the silence, he could guess he was wrong. "Er, what did you find out?"

Max stopped as he arrived at a steel-doored elevator. Pressing the down button, he patiently waited for the contraption to arrive. In the meantime, he turned to his family members- with a bit of reluctance- and sighed. Seeing no way out of an explanation, he began.

"First; this trainer has remained off the radar for the most part. No battles of his were aired during his travels in Hoenn- which is surprising. He has been reported to have been traveling in Unova three years ago, and also taking part in battles in Johto- his home region. Other than that, he seems to be related to Flannery, which is even more surprising, seeing as how we've never seen him at any of the Gym Leader gatherings."

Norman contemplated Max's findings. He didn't usually talk to the other gym leaders, Wattson being the rare exception. Each year, there was a gathering of the Hoenn gym leaders that involved the leaders and their families- siblings, parents, children, grandchildren (in Wattson's case) or girlfriend/boyfriends. It was a fun-filled time in which practice battles were held and stories were exchanged.

Trainers often came up during these meetings, Ash having been one of those trainers during his Hoenn travels. Interestingly, during the last one- which Max missed due to his travels- this Kyle had not been brought up. Norman couldn't say he recalled a trainer named Kyle battling him either.

Which, in itself, was extremely odd as most trainers were quite eager to talk.

"I don't recall him, either." Norman's tone had changed, from fatherly to one of a man in wonder. How someone managed to evade his knowledge would be miraculous. Max, finally deciding to acknowledge Norman with the change in tone, nodded once.

"I don't understand it, but somehow, he's slipped by. He's decently strong, but has a obvious preference for Fire-types. He's used several of them, more than any other type. He'll be fairly easy. I just want to know how he got through everyone's radars..." Norman studied Max's face closely. The teenager seemed to be deep in thought, as if trying to deduce how a trainer evaded notice.

It was harder to do nowadays, with gym battles being broadcasted on television and interviewers deciding to battle random trainers for an interview. That, and even battles between two trainers were sometimes being filmed. Evasion of people was harder and harder- and usually unwanted. Fame was still a big thing for people. It seemed everyone wanted it... so why didn't this trainer?

A ding of the elevator jostled Max and Norman out of their thoughts as they walked into the metal device. The doors slid closed as May slipped in, and Max pressed two different floors. One being B2, the other being floor 4. May raised an eyebrow.

"We're not allowed to see the great Max off?" May asked tauntingly. Max smirked, turning back into the brother she once knew.

"Unfortunately, not. The League is being more and more strict with trainers and their visitors. Sorry, but you're going to your seats to enjoy the showing."

May rolled her eyes at her brother's confidence. "Just don't lose too bad, okay?"

Max snorted again. "It's not me that's going to lose."

The elevator made a quiet ding and the doors rolled open to reveal a clamor of people rushing through the hallways to get food and drinks before the next battle. Norman and May stepped out of the elevator and turned to watch Max cross his arms and smirk.

"Good luck," Norman said with a smile. Instead of responding, Max just closed his eyes, his smirk still plastered on his face. He turned his head slightly and May didn't have the time to try and give him a 'good-luck-hug' before the doors closed.

Norman sighed, causing May to look at him oddly.

"How one innocent boy turns into a cocky and confident teenager, I'll never know."

* * *

_Next time...  
_

_Max's battle with Kyle!  
_

__**Notes:**

**-Yes, Kyle is an O.C. Don't worry, because this is NOT an O.C. centered story. He's not going to be huge, but he will play a role in the secrecy and all. So please don't just judge this story because of that. It's not going to change the cannon and he won't be in any romantic relations (unless pleaded for, which I doubt).  
**

**-Please review. I really like to see what people think. I don't want to see flames, but if you find an error, pointing it out in a good way would be good. I'm not perfect, I know that.  
**

**-There is a poll up for romance. If you want to vote, do so, otherwise the top pairs will be the main pairs. If your choice isn't up, please review it to let me know and I'll add it.  
**

**That's all, so here's to 2013 and more soon!  
**


	3. Chapter 2: Hottest Match Yet

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. The only thing I own is Kyle's concept.

_Welcome back to Whispering Secrets. If you're reading this, you must not have gotten angry about the OC and kept reading! Cheers for you! Like I have mentioned, the OC is not a mary-sue character and will not be some amazingly, mysterious and powerful trainer that can alter time and manipulate aura. Seriously; he's going to have some sort of role, just nothing universe altering..._

_So don't worry about him, okay?  
_

_The poll is going good, be sure to keep voting for your favorite pairing. As you noticed, it is a blind poll- this is to keep any bias from the charts. So far, I'm a bit surprised at the leader of it, but I'm going to keep it secret. ;)  
_

_I've got nothing else to add, so please enjoy this chapter! Refer to the Prologue for any ages and be sure to review! Thanks!_

* * *

**"Will the red trainer please step onto the platform?"**

Max watched in interest as a brown-haired teenager calmly walked up the stairs that led to the raised red platform where he'd be commanding from. He was moderately tall, possibly 5 foot 10 inches, and wore black jeans with a red and white jacket, with a black undershirt. Max frowned; his appearance didn't seem to strike any distant memories or encounters.

Max had been almost sure that he'd met up with this trainer at least _once _in the past- but so far, he couldn't recall a thing.

**"Will the green trainer please step onto the platform?"** Max took a breath in. Despite his short, choppy responses he'd had with his sister and father, he hadn't admitted to the fact that he _was _slightly nervous. Although his opponent had evaded most forms of detection, he had been monitored during the tournament and had displayed an excellent mindset. He knew how to battle and manipulate any scenario.

That, and despite his vast array of Fire-types, he was certainly proficient with other types. Max had yet to see any Pokémon that was weak.

Walking up the steps, the bright lights of the stadium flashed his eyes, glinting off his glasses as he mounted the platform. No matter how many times he'd walked up, he still felt the shiver of anticipation and eagerness run down his spine.

Reaching the top, Max stood straight and emotionless as the crowd roared for both trainers.

**"On the green side, we have a rookie trainer from Petalburg City. Please give a hand to son of Norman Maple, MAX MAPLE!" **The roar of the crowd was almost deafening. Max couldn't help but smirk as he saw his face appear on the large scoreboard. Six slots appeared underneath of his face and the board focused in on him standing on his platform.

Despite the overwhelming urge to wave and soak in the atmosphere, Max stood stoically, determined not to act childish.

"**And on the red side, standing proud from Blackthorn City, give him a WARM welcome, the brother of Flannery Moore, it's Kyle Helm!" **The trainer gave a warm smile to the cameras as his picture appeared on the screen, along with the six slots for his Pokémon. Max, however, wasn't focused on his picture nor reaction. It was his name that didn't add up to the gym-leader's son.

_'Moore? Flannery's last name is Moore; I know that. But... if Kyle's her brother, than wouldn't that make his last name Moore, too?'_

**"And without further ado," **Max shook his head at the voice, getting his thoughts clear. All could be answered after the battle, all he had to do at this point was win. In a voice that Max identified as Charles Goodshow, the speaker roared the words everyone had been waiting to hear. **_"_Let's have us a battle!" **

With the loud chanting of the crowd, it was hard for Max to hear the referee as he spoke to the two trainers.

"Alright you two, this battle will be a full, six-on-six Pokémon battle, substitutions allowed. The battle will end once one of you has no Pokémon remaining. Are the rules clear?"

Max nodded wordlessly, as did Kyle. The two locked eyes, initiating the challenge. It was almost an unwritten code for trainers, Max knew, to lock eyes and prepare to battle. It wasn't only a matter of winning and losing- it was a matter of pride and understanding. The battle of the better trainer- and better Pokémon.

**"Let's spin the wheel to see who moves first!" **Both trainers watched intently as the colored wheel began to rotate between green and red. It was like a Christmas tree going between red and green lights, but after a moment of rotating, the screen finally settled on green. Max smirked. It wasn't _exactly _how he wanted to start the battle, but at least he'd be able to throw a few possible curve-balls.

**"Finally; the field!" **Without waiting to announce the choices, the wheel was already in motion and beginning to slow down. It ticked several times before landing on the Rock Field.

"Alright; let's get this on," Max said quietly. Reaching to his pocket, he removed a Pokéball and closed his eyes.

_'I need you now...'_ He thought. Opening his eyes, Max tossed the ball into the air and a flash of white burst forth.

"Banette, let's go!" Max shouted as a Ghost-Pokémon settled onto the field, levitating above the ground. Even with its mouth having been 'zipped' shut, it smiled mischievously and made a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

Kyle smiled. "Interesting; a Banette. I choose Camerupt." A flash of white revealed a red-furred camel with two large mounts on its back that looked to be made from rock. It had a lazy look on its face, but its eyes held a bright fire within.

**"Looks like we'll be seeing a bit of fire from the famed Fire-type trainer. Max's going to have his hands full!" **Max snorted; leave it to the announcers to evaluate everything based on a simple match-up, especially a non-advantageous one.

"First move for me; let's go, Banette, use Shadow Claw!"

A dark claw materialized on Banette's hand as he rushed forward in a Tarous-like charge. Pulling his arm back, he prepared to strike Camerupt directly in his face.

"Don't give it that chance, Camerupt! Eruption!"

Max's eyes widened. Eruption was known to be an extremely powerful Fire-type move if used at full health. Very devastating for someone at the beginning of a match. Camerupt, responding with speed that Max didn't even know Camerupt had, rushed forward with magma spewing from his opening on his back. The two exchanging a blow head-on, Banette taking the brunt as he was throw back like a rag-doll. Camerupt, however, carried his momentum forward a few more steps before halting. The fire he'd projected came rushing down from the sky like a meteor shower.

"It's a special trick we'd worked on in to utilize the fire. Enjoy," Kyle said calmly as the lava came rushing down.

"Quick, Banette, Shadow Sneak to dodge that fire!" Responding instantaneously, the Marionette Pokémon was coated in a black aura as he seemingly turned into a shadow and dodged the larger clumps of magma. The smaller droplets seemed to sting, but not heavily damage Banette. He moved with a fluid motion, being sure to not get pinned next to the wall.

Max cheered. "Way to go! Now strike!"

Within the blink of an eye, Banette was upon Camerupt and crashed into his side where his three blue 0's were. Despite the weight-difference, Camerupt grunted and slid a few feet to the side.

"Even with his heavy defense, he'll feel that," Max commented gleefully. He didn't know what it was about a battle, but he always felt like he did when he was 7 and watched _him _battle all the time. It just felt joyful and... fun.

Kyle nodded. "Oh, he will, but not like Banette's going to feel this- Fissure!"

* * *

"Fissure? As in, the one-hit move?" May asked in surprise. Since the battle had begun, she'd been paying close attention to Kyle's battle style and how he commanded, and so far, he didn't have a straight-up style, he just went with the flow. Even though Max and Banette shared a close bond and experiences- due to their meeting back when Max was 7 and Banette was only a Shuppet- they still had a real challenge coming up.

Norman nodded. "Powerful, no doubt."

His wife, Caroline, was fascinated. "I can't wait to see how Max deals with this. It's been so long since I saw him battle!"

"It'll be interesting, Fissure is inaccurate but it can easily turn the tides either way." May paused; she knew that voice.

"BROCK!" She shouted as she turned around giddily. The man behind her seat offered her a warm smile as he shrugged.

"Sorry I'm late; we ran into some travel issues," Brock said as he rubbed the back of his spiked hair. May frowned.

"'We'?"

Next to Brock, a very recognizable red-head crossed her arms and playfully frowned.

"How could you not notice me?"

May stammered quickly. "Sorry; I had no idea you guys were here!"

Misty and Brock both laughed. Brock responded first. "Well we couldn't miss Max's big performance. Besides; we said we'd be here, and here we are."

"How have you be-"

"Shh!" Caroline scolded. "I'm trying to watch the match! Catch up afterwards!"

* * *

"Banette!" Max called out, capturing the Pokémon's attention. "Use the same maneuver! Shadow Sneak to dodge!"

Wasting no time, the Marionette Pokémon cloaked itself in its black aura before beginning to move around the field rapidly, being sure to remain erratic to throw off the Eruption Pokémon's aim. Camerupt, unable to grasp a solid lock-on, began to look around frantically.

"Camerupt; calm down. Switch to Earthquake." Max couldn't help but admire the tone the trainer used. It was calm, precise and commanding, yet gentle and understanding. It was like he _knew _what Camerupt was thinking.

However, that didn't deter Max from realizing Banette was in danger of getting hit- _hard._

"Use Thunderbolt to tear up the ground! Hurry!" Max watched anxiously as the Ghost-type glowed a yellow hue before firing off a huge bolt of electricity that tore through the ground. Banette released a shriek of power as he discharged all his power into the ground, effectively tearing it apart. Camerupt, standing witness to the attack, was struck by a few errant bolts but unaffected due to his Ground-type roots. The debris that struck him didn't seem to bother him as he just stood, watching the attack.

**"What power! Banette has effectively destroyed the Rock Field! But what toll has it taken on the Ghost-type?" **

Max snorted. '_No toll; just a bit of energy-loss. Banette will be just fine after a second of relaxing. That surely threw Camerupt off.'_

Banette ceased his attack, breathing deeply as he began to recharge the energy he'd expended. The dust clouded the Rock Field as the ground settled into its new form. A silence cast over the crowd, deafening the atmosphere._  
_

All was silent, until, "Lava Plume."

"What?!" Max cried. The dust, yet to settle, turned darkened and red before plumes of fire came flying from the dust and still settling debris. Banette, unable to react, was struck directly in his chest by a ball of fire and was sent spiraling backward. Max, unable to issue any sort of command, could only watch as the dust parted and revealed Camerupt walking through the destroyed field as if it were nothing.

"We may not be the strongest team here; but we're certainly the most adaptable. You're going to need to be better if you want to beat us," Kyle pointed out. "Now; Fissure to finish."

Before Max could command Banette to try and dodge, Camerupt had reared up on his two back legs and pulled himself into the air. Letting loose a loud groan, the Eruption Pokémon came crashing down on his two front paws, sending an immense shock wave through the shattered field and striking Banette where he laid.

The second the attack hit home, a cloud of dust erupted from the ground where Banette had laid. It cleared relatively quickly to reveal the KO'ed Ghost-type.

"Banette is unable to battle! Camerupt is the winner!" A loud cheer came bursting from the crowd as Max glumly recalled Banette. He frowned, but held the Pokéball close to his lips.

"Great job, Banette. We'll get better. Take a rest." Pocketing the ball, Max pulled out his second Pokémon, hoping to put a dent in Kyle's lead. In his peripheral vision, he saw the picture of Banette fade on the scoreboard, darkened out by his knock-out. He scowled.

"Right; well, let's get this going! Altaria! Help out!"

Kyle frowned on his end of the arena, causing Max to smile slightly. He knew what the trainer was thinking about- the obvious disadvantage. With Altaria in flight, she'd be immune to any and all Ground-type moves, and with her Dragon-based roots, she'd also have a resistance to the fire-attacks Camerupt could throw.

Max watched as the mystery-trainer mulled over the decision. After a moment, he nodded.

"Camerupt; return." A flash of red coated the Eruption Pokémon before drawing him back into his Pokéball. "Take a rest. Alright Golurk, let's get 'em!"

Max frowned. '_Golurk?'_

* * *

"Brock; what's a 'Golurk'?" May asked hesitantly. She didn't mean to sound like a novice all over again, but she hadn't heard of that type of Pokémon- and she'd already traveled many of the regions, having won the Johto Grand Festival.

Brock, however, frowned and hesitantly replied. "I believe it's a Pokémon exclusive to Unova... I haven't seen one, if that's what you're asking."

Misty and Norman nodded as well.

"I have yet to battle one," Norman said shortly. Misty didn't bother responding to the Golurk topic; instead, she brought up a valid and big point.

"So this trainer's been around, huh? Getting a Hoenn Pokémon and a Unovian Pokémon? Who knows what else he has?"

* * *

Max couldn't believe his eyes. He'd seen some large Pokémon in his day, having seen Groudon and Kyogre both. They were colossal up-close and fierce some to be seen. Groudon seemed to be about 12 feet tall and was monstrous in size.

This Golurk wasn't _as _big, but he sure came close.

He was a light blue, with pale yellow swirls on his hands and shoulders. He had some bronze-looking guards on his wrists and ankles, with a longer one on his abdomen. He didn't seem vicious, he only seemed powerful.

**"Wow folks, this is sure a treat! We're witnessing a very powerful Pokémon native ONLY to Unova!"**

"I gotta look this up," Max said, a bit in awe. He'd never encountered any Unova Pokémon in his travels- mostly because Unova was northeast of all the regions, closest only to Johto.

Clicking open his Pokédex, Max aimed the device at the Golurk and waited.

_"Golurk; the Automaton Pokémon and the evolved form of Golett. Golurk's were created in ancient times to protect people and other Pokémon. They are known to run on a mysterious energy locked inside its chest." _

Max closed the Pokédex and took a breath in.

"Battle begin!" The referee's call was like a gun-shot to start a race as Max immediately jumped to the offense.

"Altaria, test its defense! Use Dragon Pulse!"

Wasting no time, Altaria cooed once before it fired a large blue orb at Golurk. The Automaton seemed to be unresponsive as the attack connected with its chest, creating a small plume of smoke.

"Not good enough; give it a good Shadow Punch!" Kyle called. The Golurk turned its head, as if scanning the skies for the Humming Pokémon, before halting as it found its target. It raised its mammoth fist and plunged it forward, the shadow of its blue fist emerging from the real fist. It flew forward with mach precision, aimed directly for Altaria's back as it coasted through the sky.

"Cotton Guard!" Max cried out.

The cottony wings Altaria had puffed up to a large size as the shadowy fist struck the Flying-type. However, it dissipated into nothing after striking and the Humming Pokémon merely flinched. It looked down at the Automaton, unsure if it was surprised or not. It didn't exactly show any facial features.

"Now; Dragon Dance," Max said triumphantly. He'd won a multitude of battles by doing this strategy. Altaria was one of his best when it came to taking out the resistance.

A red aura coated Altaria as she circled Golurk. As quickly as it came, it vanished, leaving a faint lingering red aura behind.

"Now Sky Attack!"

"No!" Kyle called. "Counter with ThunderPunch!"

Altaria's body was coated in a bright milky white aura before it aimed its beak directly at Golurk. In response, a crackling electrical charge built up on Golurk's arm as it brought it backward, preparing for it to connect with the much smaller dragon/bird.

"Go!"

"Now!"

Both trainers called simultaneously. There was a bright flash and an explosion before Altaria flew from the smoke, relatively unharmed. Kyle frowned as the smoke cleared. Although Golurk was still standing, it was obviously a bit damaged from that encounter.

"Return, Golurk." Max watched at the Unovian Pokémon was recalled to his Pokéball, waiting for Kyle's next move. He couldn't help the small smirk that was on his face; he'd obviously turned the battle around into his favor.

He was beginning to make his climb to the Championship; he knew it.

* * *

"Why'd Kyle recall Golurk?" Caroline asked in surprise. Despite her knowledge of her husband's battles, she didn't quite understand why the trainer opposing her son would recall a Pokémon that looked healthy.

Brock, being the usual brain, answered her question. "Easy; Golurk may be a strong Pokémon and good defensively, but it obviously doesn't have that type-advantage it would need if it wanted to take Altaria out effortlessly. With Cotton Guard boosting Altaria's defense majorly, and Dragon Dance improving its Speed and Attack, Max is setting up for a sweep. Kyle needs someone to take him out; now."

"The question is..." May asked quietly. "What if he does have someone?"

The group was silent. Norman spoke up after a moment.

"Then Max'll have to deal with it in his own way."

* * *

_Next time... _

_More of the battle, plus a new event.  
_

**Notes:**

**-Yes; this is a very long battle scene thus far. I know if you don't like these, than you might not read it, but remain patient. Next chapter is going to be a big one; so remained tuned.  
**

**-As you can see, there's Brock and Misty. Now, with May, too, there's going to be some questions arising to Dawn's location and everyone else's. Well, they'll be coming soon. So just remain patient.  
**

**-Finally, the battles may be a bit undescriptive, but I'm not professional when it comes to those and I feel description is much better than just saying, 'it fired a bolt of electricity and knocked out his opponent.' They aren't going to be insanely long in the future, but for now, bear with me.  
**

**Review and vote on the poll for romance! Thank you!  
**


	4. Chapter 3: Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

_So, as I expected, there was some dissatisfaction with the OC. I truly understand the dislike guys, I really do. OC's are usually frowned upon and truthfully, I didn't MEAN to add him in, but he's got a reason for being in here and later on, you guys will be shell-shocked, trust me, okay? _

_Thank you, please don't let him stop you from reading this story.  
_

_Anyways, wow, I really appreciate the reviews! Starting now, I'm going to reply to the reviews at the bottom, so if you reviewed, look for your name if you want! Thank you for all the support and I hope we can break 100 reviews!  
_

_Note: This is going to be a LONG chapter- we're looking at 4,000 to 6,000 words, so hang in there!  
_

* * *

He knew he shouldn't have been worrying. Plenty of trainers in the past had tried to counter Altaria with Ice-types and other Dragon-types, yet none had succeeded thus far. There _was _a reason Max was in the Top 4 as a rookie, and he knew he shouldn't have been worrying.

But he was.

A smile crossed Kyle's face as he removed a Pokéball from his belt and held it up. "Porygon-Z, let's go!"

The ever-common flash of white revealed a loopy-looking Pokémon. It 'stood' on one leg and had two blue arms, with a blue and pink body. It's head wasn't even connected to its body, but seemingly floated in the air just above its body. But that wasn't what drew Max the most- it was its yellow, crazed-looking eyes.

"Porygon-Z versus Altaria, begin!"

With the referee's call, the battle resumed once more. The crowd cheered loudly, trying to distract the trainers and the announcer spoke loudly as he commented upon the battle and the Pokémon on the field. Max, however, wasn't focused on those factors- he wanted to know what the Porygon could do. He'd never encountered one before.

"Altaria, Dragon Dance!" Once again, a red hue coated Altaria's fluffy body as it circled the sky above the Virtual Pokémon.

"Porygon-Z, use Tri Attack!" With an odd cry, the Porygon created three orbs that circled its body. Each was a different color; red, blue and yellow. "Wait until it gets close, than attack."

Max smirked; he didn't _need _to get close- he only needed to use Dragon Pulse until Porygon-Z fainted. Sky Attack wasn't necessarily the only way of taking opponents out- plus, that gave him time to charge up Altaria's strength.

"Keep up the Dragon Dances!" The Humming Pokémon continued to perform the sacred Dragon-typed dance, continuously being coated in its red aura. Kyle's frown deepened as he seemed to realize his mistake. At this point, Altaria was gliding through the skies like it was a Speed Forme Deoxys and it was becoming a blue blur.

Max watched the Porygon-Z to see if he could analyze an opening. The three orbs continued to circle its body, as if protecting it from something- but there was no concentrated attack on it yet. Why, exactly, was it waiting?

"Dragon Pulse!" Max called finally, and Altaria created a blue sphere in its mouth. With pinpoint precision, the sphere was sent skyrocketing down toward the Virtual Normal-type, where it seemed to become a bit anxious.

"Concentrate!" Kyle commanded. Max frowned.

'_Concentrate? That's not a move...'_ Max thought to himself. He watched, in shock, as the three orbs stopped swirling around Porygon-Z's body, and instead, converged in front of the Dragon Pulse to block the attack in a shower of smoke.

"Now Thunder!"

A blast of yellow electricity was sent careening toward Altaria in the sky. The Humming Pokémon cried out in shock as it saw the bolt drawing near.

"Dodge!" Flapping hard, Altaria maneuvered itself out of the path of the Thunder, barely dodging the strong electric-attack.

Kyle, however, seemed pleased with this. "Dark Pulse to get it out of the sky!"

Porygon-Z placed its two 'arms' together and created a spiral of black energy, before thrusting its arms forward and firing the attack in a beam-formation.

"Dragon Pulse to counter!" Max knew the attack would be extremely close, if not too late. He watched as Altaria charged the blue sphere in its mouth before firing it milliseconds before the Dark Pulse struck. Due to the close proximity, the resulting explosion ended up catching Altaria and bringing it down from the sky.

"No! Sky Attack!" Max yelled, hoping Altaria could recover in time. He watched as it fell directly toward Porygon-Z; its fall unhampered by any conditions.  
Altaria's eyes, however, snapped open as it began to glow its milky-white to charge the powerful Flying-type move.

"Porygon-Z, look out!" Kyle called. "Thunder, full-power!"

Porygon-Z's body was highlighted in its yellow electricity before it let loose a cry of war and fired the bolt once again. Altaria, however, was ready and raced forward with the intent to knock out her opponent.

The two collided up close, the Thunder and the Sky Attack both created a large explosion that masked the trainers sights of their Pokémon. Max watched, teeth grit, as the smoke cleared, knowing this could affect the entire tide of the battle.

With the smoke lifting, Altaria could been seen gasping, but still conscious. A few stray bolts of electricity coursed over its fluffy wings, making a faint static noise. Porygon-Z, however, was unresponsive and unconscious.

"Porygon-Z is unable to battle! Altaria is the winner!"

The loud cheer that rained down from the crowd was enough to earn a sigh from Max as he released his tension, seeing his Pokémon still standing. Despite damaged and paralyzed, Altaria had come through.

Kyle recalled his Porygon-Z and offered it a few words of encouragement before stowing the Pokéball back on his belt. He looked at Max and smiled. He opened his mouth to speak, but a loud explosion shook the foundations of the stadium and destroyed one of the large light-fixtures meant to light up the field. The debris fell behind the stadium, but the chaos had already begun.

Screams and shouts erupted from the now-panicked crowd as people either scrambled toward the exits or took shelter where they could find it- namely, in the rows.

"What's going on?!" Max yelled over the panic. Kyle responded in a voice almost masked over the crowd, "I don't know! Possibly break in the light?"

"Go! Get those Pokémon!" A mysterious voice shouted. Several leopard-like Pokémon came rushing forward, claws gleaming in the stadium's remaining light. Max prepared to recall Altaria, as to make sure she would be safe, but was surprised to see the Pokémon run by it, completely ignoring its presence. The only things they were focused on... was him and Kyle.

"Max, look out!" Max heard Kyle yell above the chaos, but Max was too in shock of the purple Pokémon rushing up to attack him to do anything rational. He made sure he got Altaria back in her Pokéball, but after that, he froze. They jumped over the guard rail on his platform and knocked him back as he tried to step back. The stairs were right behind him, but he couldn't move- he was paralyzed with fear.

"Flamethrower!"

A blast of red-hot fire came rushing forward and destroyed the platform the Pokémon were on, leaving a small fragment where Max was laying. Max looked below to see the source, and saw a lone Typhlosion standing next to Kyle at the center of the arena. The ring of fire around its neck was burning extremely bright and its ruby red eyes were locked on the attacking Pokémon.

"Get down here!" Kyle commanded. Max, wasting no time, jumped off of his platform, landing on his feet in a crouched position. His knees stung from the impact of hitting the ground, but he did his best to ignore it and raced to Kyle's side.

"What are those?" Max asked nervously. He didn't care about his tone- even at 13, he had the right to be terrified when strange Pokémon attempted to attack him out of the blue.

Kyle scowled as the purple Pokémon regrouped and began to draw closer. "Those are Liepard. They're Dark-typed Pokémon, and usually used by Team Plasma members..."

Max wanted to ask what a Team Plasma was, but he saw now wasn't the perfect opportunity. He peered to the crowd to see if his family was okay, but couldn't seem to pinpoint their location. He scanned the crowd, but didn't see any signs of a skirmish, nor May's Blaziken or his father's Slaking. Most of the crowd was piled near the exits, pushing and shoving to get out of the stadium.

"Focus Blast! Than convert to Flamethrower," Kyle commanded, and his Typhlosion did exactly that. It created a large blue orb in its hands and threw it forward, taking out two of the ten Liepard, before launching another powerful Flamethrower to eliminate the remaining seven. Max gaped in surprise.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kyle caught his look and smirked a bit. "Liepard are notorious for having miniscule defense. If you get a good hit on them, they're done. Problem is; they're fast."

"Return! Krookodile, take 'em out!"

Kyle took a step back, putting a hand in front of Max's chest and easing him backward as well. He peered down at him. "You're gonna wanna watch out. Things are about to get crazy."

Max, being a bit used to crazy, watched as a large red Pokémon appeared with black stripes and a white belly. Its small beady eyes were almost hidden by a black 'mask' on its face. It had a large red snout with gleaming white teeth poking out from each jaw. It had three well-sharpened claws on each hand and three on its feet.

"KROOK!" It yelled as it raised its clawed hands. Typhlosion reared back onto its two legs and raised itself to its full height, hissing and growling at the large crocodile-like Pokémon. The flames on Typhlosion's back grew even larger and more defined as the two Pokémon locked eyes. One had the mission to attack; the other was to defend his trainer.

"Typhlosion, use Flamethrower," Kyle commanded unwaveringly. Obeying, a red-hot blast of fire escaped Typhlosion's mouth and struck the Krookodile in its white chest, causing it to slide backward. Not even down, the Krookodile retaliated by lunging forward with its jaw gaping open and its teeth gleaming black.

"Watch out!" Max cried. "It's a Crunch-attack!"

Without even commanding Typhlosion to dodge, the Fire-type skillfully stepped to the side and raised both hands over his head- which meant over Krookodile's body as well.

"Take it out with Focus Blast!"

Typhlosion created the ranged-based special Fighting attack and threw it directly onto the Dark/Ground type's back, causing it to cry out in pain and fall to the ground in a heap. Typhlosion jumped backward and landed on its back legs and paws in a crouched position, ready to attack if necessary. Kyle, despite not being the battler, watched intently and anxiously as well.

When it was coated in a white light- similar to that of a Pokéball- and vanished, Kyle relaxed, despite Max becoming even more worried.

"He's out."

Max looked around anxiously. "But he vanished!"

Kyle smiled slightly. "All in due time. We're okay."

Typhlosion looked around, obviously looking to see if he had any more opponents he'd have to deal with, before snorting and extinguishing his flame. Kyle nodded and give him a knuckle-bump, smiling at the Fire-typed starter.

"Great work; but this worries me."

"Uh; how so?"

"Oh... uh..." Max smirked. The older trainer obviously hadn't been talking to him, so the question caught him off-guard. "Nothing."

Max crossed his arms. "C'mon, just tell me. They came after me, so obviously I play a role in this, somehow."

"No, actually, you don't. Look; let's find somewhere safe. Plus, we gotta protect anyone else. I doubt they'd come in as an invasion force, but I suppose anything is possible with Team Plasma," Kyle commented softly to himself. He gestured to the tunnel leading to the Trainer's Briefing Room and began to walk with Typhlosion in tow.

Max, however, looked back to the stage. He still couldn't find May or his parents.

"You comin'?"

Max peered between Kyle and the stands. On one hand, he knew Kyle could explain- even just a little bit- of what was going on and who this Team Plasma was. Not to mention his strength and general knowledge was much safer than going out on his own... but at the same time, Max knew he owed his family first. He had to find them before he found answers. The way Kyle was going would eventually meet up with the stands, but it was the long way and time may have already been up.

He needed to take the way they would have. He needed to find his family.

"I... I can't. I have to find my family. They were in the stands during the attack," Max said hesitantly. He wanted to curse himself for his hesitance, but deep down, he knew that it was due, in part, to the circumstances.

Kyle looked into the mostly vacant stands.

"It seems as if most people fled during the exodus of spectators. Is anyone in your family a trainer?" Kyle asked calmly. Max nodded once.

"My dad is a gym leader and my sister is the Top Coordinator in the Johto region," Max responded. He hid his smile of pride as Kyle's face worked into a frown of recognition. He looked directly into Max's eyes, as if studying him for the first time.

Humming softly, Kyle spoke up. "So you're Max _Maple_, the same as Norman Maple and May Maple... I didn't think _all _of you were related. Quite the talented battling family..." Max resisted the urge to puff out his chest in pride. His family was known around the region as one of the more competitive battling families now, since Max was a top trainer and May was the Top Coordinator.

"Nonetheless, they should be okay with their prowess," Kyle said dismissively. Max looked at him in surprise. There was also a tad of fear and worry written on his face, but only Kyle could identify it. He studied the younger boy a bit longer before sighing internally. "But... I suppose we can go out that way, as well. Perhaps it will save us time."

Max's face lit up. Before he could speak, Kyle held up a hand.

"But we take _my _transportation," he said with a smirk. Tossing a Pokéball into the air, Max blinked a few times to clear his vision from the dots that clouded his vision, before he gasped at seeing Golurk up close. The Automaton Pokémon was much larger up close and much more defined. It looked centuries old, with rugged looking 'skin' and a mysterious power to it.

"Climb on," Kyle said, interrupting Max's analysis. Max looked to where Kyle was standing, to see Golurk lowering his hand to offer a ride to the novice trainer. Stepping tentatively on, Max couldn't help but yelp with surprise as he was lifted into the air and placed onto Golurk's shoulder.

Kyle peered over to Golurk's other shoulder where Max was clinging to. The teen wearing glasses was desperately trying to hold on or find a gripping spot. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit to himself. He remembered the first time he'd ever rode on Golurk- it had been an experience above all other experiences.

"You're gonna wanna hold on- it's gonna get crazy," Kyle warned. Max grumbled to himself about '_no good warnings' _and '_stu__pid experience...' _before tightening him grip on Golurk's shoulder. "Golurk; Fly!"

The Automaton Pokémon made a low noise before it shuttered and began to levitate off the ground. Max's eyes widened in absolute shock as the colossal Pokémon began to take to the evening sky. He couldn't help the scream of terror and excitement that escaped his throat as the hulking Ghost/Ground-type took off.

"Typhlosion, follow behind and _be careful_!" Kyle called to his faithful Fire-type. The Volcano Pokémon seemed to do a mock-salute before jumping onto several pieces of debris to follow the large Golurk in the sky. Typhlosion wasn't _too _worried about getting lost- after all, all he had to do was trail a 9 foot monstrosity in the sky and listen for Max's yelps of fear.

Smirking, the Fire-type followed closely behind, silently laughing at the yells coming from the left shoulder of Golurk.

* * *

"Wow; everyone vacated this place in a hurry..." Kyle commented quietly as he recalled Golurk and Typhlosion. He kicked a lone piece of cement from where it laid, causing it to roll into the seared grass. Having half-expected a response, he tilted his head to get Max into his peripheral vision- only to see Max hurling in the nearest trash can.

He frowned and quickly looked away, not eager to see anything that would make _him _upchuck.

"Y-yeah..." Max mumbled as he got a moment's rest. "Wonder where they we-"

Kyle groaned as Max was interrupted by another wave of nausea. Shaking his head to try and banish the forbidden noises, Kyle looked around and studied some of the destruction sources. Several craters seemed to have been caused by Pokémon attacks- such as Hyper Beams or combination attacks. There were claw marks that lined the walls, obviously Liepard marks.

"How in the name of Arceus did Team Plasma manage to move everyone so quickly? We were distracted for... a minute; maybe two! There's no possible way they managed to vacate the _entire _Pokémon Stadium in less than two minutes!" With frustration lacing his tone, Kyle angrily kicked aside a larger chunk of concrete.

Max, taking a break from his vomiting, slowly looked around his small area. The destroyed tent he'd stopped in to relieve his nausea had tears in the fabric and the desk inside in small pieces. Slowly, Max stood up and walked from under the tent to see the sky having turned dark. Ominous clouds swirled in the distance and thunder seemed to echo on the horizon.

"That wasn't there when we were flying; was it?" Max asked slowly. Kyle, taking notice of the drastic weather change, shook his head in shock. The two trainers stared into the sky, looking at the gray clouds that threatened them with rain and lightning.

"We need shelter. C'mon."

Kyle, without waiting, began to walk toward a nearby kiosk that seemed sturdy enough to withstand the burnt of a weak storm. Max unsteadily walked toward the kiosk, but remembered their goal of going this way.

"Wait; my family-!"

"Is definitely not here," Kyle finished. He didn't turn to answer, he merely opened to door to the kiosk and left it open for Max if he wanted to enter. The teenager, knowing there was no safety in waiting in the storm nor looking during a downpour, ran to the shack, hoping his shelter wouldn't cause him to be too late to find his parents.

Max groaned and looked hesitantly back toward the open and vacant space of the once occupied Pokémon Plaza. Where people once eagerly awaited battles and could buy merchandise, now sat dust, debris and nothingness. To keep from being overwhelmed, the trainer walked inside of the small tent and sat down on a dust-covered stool. He removed his glasses for a second and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

It had been a long day; first with the lack of sleep due to his anxiousness for the battles, and than with the battle, finished off with some random team that Max had never ever heard of, coming in and attacking the Pokémon Stadium. It was almost impossible to believe it was only one day that had all happened.

"Tough; ain't it?"

Max groaned and nodded slowly as he slipped his glasses back on. Cradling his head in his hands, he stared at the cement flooring as if it would have the answers for all of his problems.

Max heard Kyle chuckle softly to himself and peered upward to see him learning against a pillar that held up the tent. It didn't seem to give way to his weight, making it a good resting place.

"It's just..." Max began but hesitated. He knew what he was going to say, but he didn't know _why._ What good was confessing to a complete stranger- especially when he may have been the only possible person for miles. Then again, maybe that was the perfect reason to tell him. They needed trust in one another.

Swallowing his pride, Max decided to continue. "I guess I finally realized how much a jerk I've been to my dad. I mean; ever since I got my Pokémon, I've been nothing but a big jerk to him. I've ignored him... I've acted superior after I beat him... I haven't been a very good son. And he hasn't said a word against me... I just... I'm worried."

Kyle nodded slowly. "I see. What do you think caused that? The change; I mean."

Max thought for a second. Truthfully, he had originally thought it was the extended freedom he'd gotten upon starting his Pokémon Journey. Then he assumed it came from beating his father in a battle. But after even more deliberation, he thought maybe it was just because he was a teenager now- changes were bound to occur.

Before Max could answer, Kyle ended up answering for him.

"Max; people will change. There's nothing wrong with change because without it, we'd all be thumb-sucking babies. Everyone will change at some point. But that doesn't mean you always _have _to. Sometimes, who we are is good and we don't need to be someone else. Even though circumstances will always be altering, that doesn't mean you need to as well. Remember who you are before you act- it might just save you and a few others."

Max went silent.

'_Change... is __it okay that I changed? ...No. I can't think it was okay- I've been a real jerk to Dad. I can't just think that all of that was due to my age changing. Sure, I changed physically... but that shouldn't have made me change personally, either. Maybe... maybe I took him for granted... all of them for granted...'_

"But whatever the case is, I'm sure you'll end up making the right decision. You seem like a good kid. Just take things as they come; and don't worry about the future." Max nodded at Kyle's words and settled back a bit. Before he could stop himself, he found his thoughts drifting to man he vowed to never think about again.

Cringing, Max unconsciously clenched his fists and his face hardened; something Kyle took notice to. The older teenager studied the rookie trainer for a few seconds, studying his face and reaction to his thoughts, before finally pipping up.

"Something on your mind?"

Max, startled, blinked and looked at Kyle oddly, but nervously.

"No... just an old... just a person I'd used to know."

Kyle nodded, semi-satisfied with the answer. He knew he wasn't going to get all the answers in one day's worth of knowing Max, nor did he really want to. The more he learned, the more he had to bear the fact that Max was quickly becoming someone he had to watch over. He had to keep the trainer out of Team Plasma's clutches.

Deciding the best time to confess would be at that moment, Kyle cleared his throat and looked at Max.

"Well, I had a friend. He was a partner I had. See; I used to be part of a branch of the Pokémon Federation in Unova. We monitored Pokémon activity and made sure Team Rocket didn't try to start up any separate branches in Unova. Due to it being northwest of all the other regions, we had a harder time relaying information- especially when there were bad storms. Connection would go out, and we'd be on our own. Anyways; my partner and I were monitoring one group of people. They called themselves "Pokémon Liberators" and claimed we were hurting our Pokémon by making them battle."

"What?" Max asked, a bit surprised and outraged. Kyle smiled a bit as the rookie trainer went off about how 'Pokémon had the power to leave' and 'they do it because they want to'. Kyle had to admit; Max sounded just like his partner had. They shared almost similar beliefs. "... Arceus; I just don't get it! That's completely stupid!"

Kyle chuckled. "Yeah; that's what we said too. But they made some people doubt their own beliefs, and pretty soon, people began to release their Pokémon. But that wasn't the problem. Around a few weeks after this, some men in medieval uniforms began to harass and attack trainers, claiming they were there to 'liberate' the Pokémon in the trainers care. With no options, the trainers fought. Some won, some lost. Those that lost were forced to give up their Pokémon- just like Team Rocket. What they said and what they did... it completely contradicted itself. The Pokémon Federation gave us an order- stop these men."

Max leaned in, intrigued by the story. It felt like he was almost there, witnessing these odd men as they attacked trainers. Max couldn't help but wonder if these men were a new area of Team Rocket. They sounded like the criminal cooperation after all.

But at the same time, Max couldn't help but feel they had a deeper, more sinister goal...

"So what did you do?"

Kyle shrugged. "We did as we were told; we tried to stop them."

A distant look shone in Kyle's eye as he continued. "At first; we succeeded. But... something changed. Me and my partner, we were separated for a mission. He was to investigate the Dragonspiral Tower and I was to investigate the Cave of Being as it was jointly related to a few lakes in Sinnoh. But... he was ambushed. I don't know what happened to him. Last communication I got from him, he was on the sea. Where he went... I don't know. Two weeks after that, I was issued to pull out of Unova as fast as possible. And a day after that, Unova... well, it fell under complete tyranny of Team Plasma. No authorized entrance for anyone. That was about three years ago. I haven't heard from anyone in Unova since."

"Wow..." Max mumbled. He stared at Kyle, who refused to make eye-contact. The distant look in his eye had changed to a misty one as his brown eyes shone with the disappoint and fear he had for his missing partner. Max couldn't fathom the guilt and sorrow that shrouded his heart and mind, after three years of not knowing anything.

"So... those guys that attacked us...?" Max trailed off. He hoped Kyle would know what he meant. And as he expected; Kyle did know.

"Yes; that was Team Plasma. They're notorious for using Dark-typed Pokémon. Dangerous at one point; no. Dangerous now...? Extremely."

Max nodded slowly, rubbing his hands together. He'd dealt with criminal's before. He remembered the days of Team Magma- a team devoted to the capture of Groudon and the recreation of Earth as a completely land-based planet and the days of Team Aqua- the polar opposite to Team Magma. They were centered on Kyogre, and the creation of more seas.

They'd both been dangerous forces and yet, Max had seen them fail. He never had understood _why_, only knowing that in the end, good always prevailed. It just seemed like the balance of the world.

"So... where did my family go...?"

Kyle sighed, looking up at Max for the first time since recounting his story. His eyes were hard and darkened by the ghosts of his past recounts. His voice, coated with ice, spoke quietly.

"My guess? On their way to Unova... they're now prisoners."

Max looked at Kyle, alarm written over his face. He spoke with fear and worry dominating his voice. "W-what?"

Kyle nodded grimly. "For now... Team Plasma... they're not so nice to humans... your family has maybe three days after they get to a Plasma holding facility... after that..."

Max paled and he almost became a Duskull at that very thought. His fists tightened and his eyes blurred with salty, hot tears as he thought about the possibility of his parents dying.

Standing up, Max walked to the tent door. Kyle looked at him, surprised.

"Where're you going?"

Max paused in the doorway of their makeshift shelter. Outside, Max watched as the merciless winds whipped at the tattered tents and at the dust that coated the ground unevenly. He watched as the small, cold raindrops slowly began to fall from hundreds of feet above and splash onto the ground in gravity's hold. He watched as nature outside went on as if there was no criminal organization regions away.

Max reached deep into his courage and sighed. Closing his eyes and facing forward, he took a breath in.

"I'm going to Unova. I'm going to find my family."

* * *

_Next time..._

_Kyle's response to Max's mission.  
_

**Notes:**

**-Well, here's an explanation. It's not the full story, as whirlwinded as it was- the full story will be told later on.  
**

**-For all you romance-seekers, some new characters will be coming onto the scene soon. Right now, the polls are active and awaiting your votes for romance, but you need to vote! I know who's in the lead, but it's incredibly close thus far, so you're going to have to include some voting.  
**

**-Finally; OC-haters, I applaud you if you've read this far. For anyone that doesn't mind, good on you too. Kyle, however, is going to be departing soon. His role, as I said, will be coming to a possibly temporary end and will feature the canon characters. So if you're waiting for action to start, it's coming, as is the OC departure.**

Responses to reviews:**  
**

****partner555: Excellent, that is what I was going for. Sometimes, the description worries me, but I'm glad to see it was adequate. Thank you for reviewing.

ruggler354: This is a great thing to hear; I'm glad my scenes were up to the task! Hopefully I can continue to keep this in your favorites, good to hear though! I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, although, I do have exams coming up and that will drain my time. Btw, Typhlosion, excellent Pokémon.

SailorSea: Ash will be coming up soon, don't you worry. I need time to develop the story before he can magically appear haha. Thank you, and more shall be coming!

Swagnilla-Ice-1985: Good; interesting is what I go for.

thechinskyguy: Thank you; I will!

Guest: Thank you; we'll see on the pairings, although right now, everything is very close in the voting section.

**Stay tuned and review!  
**


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